Free Video-Sharing Websites That Pay

Get paid to share your videos online

Teens, families, filmmakers, and corporate brands share videos online, with numerous video-sharing websites hosting heartwarming, memorable, funny, and important content. If you're looking for a way to make some extra cash, you can get paid for sharing videos.

We gathered a list of video-sharing sites that offer ways to monetize your titles. Check these out and see which is a good fit.

Like any online endeavor, be cautious when attempting to monetize your videos. Never post illegal content, and abide by each site's rules and regulations. Use a separate email address to keep spam and ads at bay.

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Biggest Video Site: YouTube

Make money with YouTube videos

Flickr

What We Like
  • The largest video platform in the world.

  • Has several ways to monetize videos.

  • Content creator success stories abound.

What We Don't Like
  • There's a lot of competition with other YouTubers.

  • Must jump through some hoops to become a YouTube Partner.

YouTube is a massive website with users that span all backgrounds and ages. If you want to share content with the world, YouTube is the best place to upload your videos.

YouTube pays content creators through its YouTube Partner Program (YPP). When you become a YouTube partner, monetize your videos with ads, YouTube Premium subscribers, and other channels.

You'll have to meet eligibility requirements to become a YouTube partner. Requirements include having an approved Google AdSense account, more than 1,000 subscribers, and more than 4,000 watch hours (the amount of time that people spend watching your videos).

If you think you have what it takes to create quality content and build a loyal following, learn how to set up your YouTube account to earn money.

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Best Site for Pros: Vimeo

Vimeo home page
What We Like
  • User-friendly interface.

  • Gather viewer email addresses.

  • Analytics tools.

  • Add tags to boost a video's searchability.

What We Don't Like
  • Need to pay for a higher-level membership if you exceed upload minutes.

  • Not as many social tools as YouTube.

Vimeo is a great place for talented video creators to upload and sell their videos to an interested audience, generating buzz about their content while earning money. To get started, join Vimeo Pro for at least $20 per month and access the Vimeo Video On Demand service for content creators.

Choose to make your content available for purchase, subscription, or rent, and set your own prices. Sell your videos worldwide, or choose a distribution region. Choose from a number of additional settings, such as Bonus Features, and then publish your work. Content creators keep 90 percent of the revenue, getting their money through PayPal.

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Best for a Great Viewer Experience: Brightcove

Brightcove home page
What We Like
  • Deliver videos to many devices, formats, and platforms.

  • Metadata-driven ad insertion.

  • Built-in integrations with leading ad networks. 

  • Lightning-fast speeds for video hosting.

What We Don't Like
  • While scalable, creator packages can be expensive.

Brightcove is an online video-hosting platform and player that prides itself on the audience's experience, delivering fast speeds and a seamless experience. Monetize your videos with calls to action or ads, and get help finding the right ads for your content.

Uploading videos to Brightcove is easy with the company's Video Cloud feature, and the customer service is top-notch.

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Best for Short Pop-Culture Videos: MetaCafe

Metacafe video content page
What We Like
  • Easy to upload videos.

  • Pays more than YouTube per-view.

What We Don't Like
  • There's a lot of videos on the site, so yours needs to stand out.

MetaCafe is a video-hosting platform specializing in short-form videos about pop-culture topics such as movies, video games, sports, music, and TV. The platform pays content creators per-view, similar to YouTube, but MetaCafe can be more profitable. MetaCafe pays content creators up to $5 per 1,000 views, and the site often posts new videos on the front page.

To start uploading videos, go to the Work With Us link at the bottom of the home page, and select Content Partners.

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Best for Bloggers: Dailymotion

Dailymotion home page
What We Like
  • Make money on Dailymotion or your site.

  • Brand your videos with your logo.

  • Rent your videos on demand or with a subscription.

What We Don't Like
  • Videos can't exceed 2 GB.

  • Videos can't be more than 60 minutes.

Dailymotion is a popular, powerful video-sharing platform that may be YouTube's biggest competitor. Make money with your videos on Dailymotion by displaying relevant ads and in-stream video ads, or embed your videos on your blog or website, increasing your chances of making money. In addition, rent your videos on-demand or on a subscription basis.

To get started, go through the process of enabling monetization, allowing you to share in any revenue generated from ads on your videos.

06
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Facebook Pages home page
What We Like
  • In-stream ads are automatically inserted into videos.

  • Adjust ad placement yourself if you prefer.

  • Earn a share of the revenue from your ads.

  • Once you qualify, the process is easy and seamless.

What We Don't Like
  • Must have a Facebook Page, not just a profile, to participate.

  • Must have at least 10,000 followers and jump through more hoops.

If your Facebook page is eligible, earn money from in-stream ads inserted into your videos at natural breaks in your content, or whenever you choose. You'll receive a portion of the revenue these ads generate. This system works best if you frequently upload high-quality video content to your Facebook page and have a loyal following.

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Best for Independent Filmmakers: Amazon Prime Video Direct

Prime Video Direct Home page
What We Like
  • Make titles available via Prime Video in the U.S. and other locations.

  • Choose from several royalty or ad-revenue programs.

  • Use performance metrics to optimize how you promote your titles.

What We Don't Like
  • Must live in a country where Amazon's electronic payment system works.

The Amazon Prime Video Direct program allows independent filmmakers, studios, and distributors to earn royalties if Amazon Prime members stream their work. When Amazon Prime members watch, rent, or buy your video, you receive a share of the profits. There are also ad-revenue programs to choose from.

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